For as long as she can remember, Rebekah Clayton’s life has been dictated by her dreams. As a dream interpreter, she has become privy to her clients’ deepest and darkest secrets. Affairs, financial ruin, even murder—nothing shocks her anymore. But Grant Raskin’s dreams are unlike any she has heard before.
If Rebekah’s interpretation is right, Grant has foreseen the end of the world. A plague is coming and everyone Rebekah cares about will succumb to the illness. And Grant can trace the origin of the disease back to two men: Dr. Mark Holman and his son Drew.
Grant enlists Rebekah to track down the Holmans and determine their connection to the viral outbreak. But uncovering Drew Holman’s secrets will lead her down a dangerous path—unearthing a deadly conspiracy she never could have predicted.
The first book in a two-part series from bestselling romance author Heather Topham Wood.
I was gifted a copy of “The Dark Dreamer” by the author in exchange for an honest review.
“The Dark Dreamer” by Heather Topham Wood just broke me – into tiny, little pieces and I don’t think I will be put back together until I get my hands on the sequel. I want to, no, I need to find out what happens next.
It’s not easy to fill you in on what the book is about, without giving too much away.
Rebekah, a young woman who has experienced way too much loss for her age, works as a dream interpreter. Clients tell her their dreams and she tells them what those mean – often warning them of upcoming events or false people in their lives. Not really a thankful task, she mostly keeps to herself, especially since people are freaked out by her ability.
One night Grant shows up at her doorstep, recounting his nightmares for her to interpret. What they both learn is less than thrilling. Grant’s dream prophesies the end of the world, a zombie-like plague that will kill everyone – including the people they care about.
Deciding they have to attempt and stop it, they set out to gain more information – especially about the two people who are responsible for the outbreak according to Grants’s dream. Dr. Holman and his son Drew.
The initial attraction Rebekah felt for Grant quickly fades when she meets Drew. The lines between their investigation and real feelings for Drew get blurred quickly and she finds herself drawn to him, feeling happy for the first time in her life. Too bad he’s one of the two people who will cause the apocalypse, but even that doesn’t stop her from falling for him – torn between her duty and her heart.
Things aren’t always as they seem though and neither are people – a lesson that Kate has to learn in a painful way and that could cost all of their lives.
The story is absolutely breath-taking. It kept me at the edge of my seat, biting my nails and reading and the speed of light. Full of suspense and twists and turns, it kept me guessing, hoping and pleading for things to go well. At the same time, it was toying with my heart – making it all fuzzy and warm, just to crush it in the next minute. I might be slightly obsessed with the story and the characters at this point. But fact is, they were awesome.
Rebekah, also called Becca, was absolutely endearing. She had her emotional baggage, no doubt and it affected her life and her relationships, but she wasn’t whiny or wallowing in self-pity. She tried to make the best of her life and her circumstances, while guarding her heart against any more loss, without realizing that this way she was also locking out love and happiness.
Despite her psychic abilities, she was down-to-earth and fairly laid-back. Due to her upbringing, she had a hard time coming to terms with her abilities and the way her life was, but it didn’t keep her from trying to help others and especially from attempting to save the world.
The change in her once she met Drew was significant though. It was almost as if part of her was finally brought to life and it was thrilling to see that change.
Grant was and still is a bit of enigma. At the beginning, I really liked him and was drawn to him, just like Becca. But as time went on, I found him to be a ruthless, heartless vigilante. Despite his confession of making really crappy decisions in his past and feeling guilty for them, I couldn’t stop getting angry with him when he was trying to push his view on Becca. His good looks and great body didn’t make up for the fact that he didn’t have a conscience in his quest for information, putting way too much pressure on Becca, especially when it came to Drew.
Drew on the other hand seemed like a douchebag at first, but it became very clear that he was haunted by something – a broken, young man who had a hard time to come to terms with his life.
He appeared like a spoiled, rich kid with not a responsible bone in his body but it became quickly apparent that there was more to him. And once he met Becca, he allowed his true self to show. He was charismatic and sweet, sexy and attentive. He made me swoon something fierce and I totally understand why Becca couldn’t resist him. He was actually more than family money and good looks.
Trust me, your heart will break for him and with him and you’ll never be the same again.
Heather Topham Wood just absolutely rocks paranormal romances that still seem real. She makes you believe this is happening right now, somewhere in your neighborhood. It’s creative and original, detailed and elaborate.
The Dark Dreamer lives up to that.
5+ dreams-are-real stars.
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